


when you're good to mama

by lostin_space



Series: my 12 (actually 13) days of gifts [4]
Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Early 20th Century, Fluff, M/M, Prostitution
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-16
Updated: 2019-12-16
Packaged: 2021-02-24 16:15:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21820786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lostin_space/pseuds/lostin_space
Summary: "Is Michael in?"ORIf Alex wants Michael, he's going to have to work for it.
Relationships: Michael Guerin/Alex Manes
Series: my 12 (actually 13) days of gifts [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1569967
Comments: 15
Kudos: 79





	when you're good to mama

**Author's Note:**

  * For [manesalex](https://archiveofourown.org/users/manesalex/gifts).



> day 4 of my 12 (actually 13) days! A lovely little sequel :)

“Is Michael in?”

The woman at the door eyed Alex up and down. It made him keenly aware that he probably should’ve gotten out of his uniform before he traveled this way. The problem was that he’d had Michael on his mind for two days and he couldn’t think straight without him. He didn’t want to think about anything but him. War was boring. Boys with calloused fingers and soft stomachs were decidedly not.

“You’re the soldier?” she asked. He didn’t really know how to respond, so she just stepped outside completely. She was an older woman, hair gone white and pulled back into a bun at the nape of her neck. Alex’s first thought was that this was the aforementioned _Mama_.

“Um, yes, ma’am,” he said. She raised her chin, making Alex feel small under her gaze even though she was much shorter. He supposed that had everything to do with her running a whore house by herself. She needed to be threatening to keep everyone safe. He could respect that.

“Is there a reason you’re looking for my boy?” she asked. Alex licked his lips.

“I, uh,” he paused, trying to think of something better than _’I miss him’_. That would just be embarrassing. “We agreed to meet again. So… I came to meet him.”

Mama looked him up and down, cocking her head to the side as she stared him down. Alex shifted under her gaze.

“My boy is very special, very bright,” she said, crossing her arms, “I know he might do somethings that aren’t entirely up to what you might consider proper, but he earns an honest living. He’s going to be someone someday. I think you hanging around here will only make that harder for him. Do you understand?”

Alex gulped, “Yes, Ma’am.” Part of him wanted to argue and explain that he didn’t really care about any of that. He just wanted to see him again. However, that sounded like a bad idea. 

“So off you go,” she said, not really giving him any other options.

Alex nodded and she very quickly went inside without saying goodbye. He sighed and considered knocking again. He knew Michael didn’t believe that they were going to see each other again, so it felt even extra wrong to just leave without a fight. But he didn’t want to piss Mama off either. He was stuck.

“Alex?” 

Alex turned around to see Michael in boys’ clothing. It was a whole new sight to see and he would be lying if he didn’t say he was in love with it. He had dirt smudges on his face and his hands and sweat-soaked hair. Alex remembered that he said he was a farmhand. He surely looked the part.

“Hello,” Alex said, gulping softly as he took in the sight. Michael grinned.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, stepping closer.

“Coming to see you,” Alex said, “I met Mama.”

Michael’s face dropped for a second. “She didn’t like you, did she?”

“I’m in uniform, of course, she didn’t,” Alex laughed softly. Michael nodded, looking around before grabbing Alex’s collar and pulling him inside. It was the best thing to happen all day.

Alex was tugged up the stairs and into the same bedroom he’d reluctantly left two days prior. It felt like a lifetime ago. Michael pulled him in close, dirty hands caressing him over the uniform. Alex liked to think this is what life was meant to be.

“Just, you know, don’t tell Mama,” Michael whispered, a little smile on his lips as he moved in for a kiss.

“Wait, you’re not gonna question me? Make me work for it?” Alex asked, though he was already letting his hands roam. Michael chuckled softly and held up his hands.

“I already did.”

-

“Is Michael in?”

“What did I tell you about comin’ ‘round here?”

Alex blinked hard and smiled as nicely as he could. He was in his civvies, he looked casual enough to not be suspicious, and he was just really trying his damnedest to look presentable so she would like him for Michael. He wanted to be good enough.

“I-I was hoping that, since I’m not obviously a soldier, I wouldn’t draw attention and I could come see him,” Alex said. Mama sighed, stepping outside completely again. 

“Do you understand that you coming here, dressed up in your uniform or not, you draw attention? Not by the people who live beside us, but by your soldier friends and boss. Do you know what they’ll do if they find out what goes on here? Do you know that you will ruin my boy’s life if they find out what you do with him? It’ll ruin yours too,” she explained, not giving him any space to deny. Mainly because he couldn’t. “Maybe if you were someone who wouldn’t be missed it wouldn’t be as hard. But your absence is noticed.”

“I told them I was seeing a woman,” Alex relayed truthfully, “They think I’m at her place.”

Mama shook her head, reaching up to pat him on the cheek. It felt demeaning, but he also assumed he deserved it.

“Son, let’s think of it this way, a way you might understand,” she began, “How long are you staying here in this town?”

“Another year,” he answered truthfully. She pursed her lips and nodded.

“And then what?”

“Well, I’m not sure.”

“And where do you think that leaves my boy?” she asked. Alex’s shoulders sunk. “Listen, I understand that you think you can hide him, but if you can’t he gets hurt. And if you can, he gets hurt. My job is to protect him. And protect him I will.”

“I really care about him. Maybe after I leave I can still come back and see him. Or something. I’m not sure, I just really like him,” Alex tried. Mama took a deep breath and shook her head at him.

“I know you do. He’s impossible not to like. But that doesn’t mean you need to be around him,” she said. Alex gulped and nodded. She had a point. A point he didn’t quite like, but a point nonetheless.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Now, go on,” she said.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Alex watched as she disappeared inside. And then he did nothing as he was tugged around to the side of the house. He was shoved against the wall of the dark alley. Michael stood in front of him, all dolled up and grinning. He’d probably returned from one of his rich old women.

“You came back,” he whispered.

“I’ll always come back,” Alex assured him.

Michael kissed him until he couldn’t breathe.

-

“Oh, you are asking for trouble.”

“If you’re the one punishing, absolutely.”

Alex had stayed overnight. He knew it was stupid, but it was his day off and he wanted to wake up next to Michael. He was tired of sneaking around Mama. He just wanted to pretend he had a real relationship and that he and Michael could just be. He knew that wasn’t possible, but he liked to pretend.

Michael slowly propped himself up on his elbow in the tiny bed, leaning over Alex and giving him the best kiss he’d ever woken up to. Maybe it was the only one, but still. He hummed against Michael’s lips, pulling his nude body closer, closer, closer because it was never close enough. He just wanted to be fused into him sometimes. Again, that wasn’t allowed.

“Please,” Alex whispered, begging for nothing in particular. Michael seemed to act nonetheless and pressed harder, squishing Alex between his body and the bed and leaving absolutely no room for anything unpleasant.

And then the door opened and they were forced to make room for all things unpleasant.

“You’re quite persistent when you want something, aren’t you?” Mama asked as she stood there, not at all seeming phased by what she was seeing. She clearly expected it. Her arms were crossed over her chest and she was just stared at them.

Michael had sat up whenever she walked in, staring up at her with big, childish eyes. Alex didn’t know what to say. It felt worse than being caught by his father. At least he could expect the consequences with him.

“I really like him, Mama,” Michael said, his voice softer than Alex had ever heard it, “I wanna keep seeing him.”

“I know you do, and clearly he wants that as well,” she sighed. Alex gulped softly.

“I do.”

She raised her head and stared Alex down for a moment. He held eye contact. His father always made him hold eye contact.

“Stay for dinner tonight, if you can, Soldier. Clearly, you’re going to be around and I don’t like things happening in my house without me knowing,” she explained. He nodded. “And I don’t like that you felt the need to keep it a secret, even if you’re shit at keeping secrets.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Michael said, nodding. He smiled at her and she seemed helpless not to smile back. 

Charming indeed.

When she left them alone again, Michael turned to him with a grin that was even wider.

“She likes you,” he said. Alex looked at him incredulously.

“What? Where did you get that from?”

“She didn’t threaten to shoot you, she asked you to stay for dinner,” Michael pointed out. Alex let out a breathy laugh, suddenly very thankful he was staring down the barrel of a gun. Instead, he was being touched by a man who was his. Sort of, at least.

“Sounds good.”

-

“Soldier, come here for a moment.”

Alex waded through the sea of women that all seemed to find it all too adorable that Michael had a boy over for dinner. They were poking and prodding at him, cooing and praising all the way. It was overwhelming to him, but Michael seemed more than used to it. It reminded him of what Michael had said about them all mothering him.

He entered the kitchen where Mama had called him, watching as she prepared a large dinner for her large family. He found that endlessly charming though he could never voice it. Mama looked up at him.

“I want you to know that I am doing this as a favor to my boy,” she said. He nodded curtly. “He hasn’t had much of his own in this life and you seem to want him. I think it’ll be good to know that he is wanted and loved, even if it’s temporary. But you need to do good by him.”

“Oh, I will, I promise,” Alex said. He was honest. He wanted nothing but to be good to him.

“I mean it. If I hear one little thing, I will have your ass, I don’t care if you’re a soldier,” Mama threatened. Alex nodded.

“All I want is for him to be happy,” Alex said. She nodded.

“Then we have something in common.”

Alex let her eye him once again, let her stare him down and stared right back with nothing but respect. Then she nodded and waved him back to the living room where he was welcomed back beside Michael. He didn’t ask what they spoke about; Alex was sure he already knew.

“I’m glad that you’re here,” Michael whispered, kissing his cheek. Alex ignored the chorus of women ‘aw’ing at him.

“Me too.”

**Author's Note:**

> also on my tumblr: spaceskam


End file.
